


A Stay at the Aether Resort

by ilovelyon



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Aether Resort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 09:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18428006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovelyon/pseuds/ilovelyon
Summary: Lyon has a nightmare. Ephraim is there to comfort and hold him until he can fall back asleep.





	A Stay at the Aether Resort

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired to write this oneshot after seeing one too many screenshots of people's Lyons getting nightmares in the Aether Resort's Inn. I know it's surely programmed for any characters in FEH to get any kind of dreams in the inn, but it just broke my heart a little, okay? So Ephraim's here to comfort Lyon. 
> 
> PTSD is tagged because it's implied / referenced in this story

Ephraim woke to the sounds of a bed creaking and blankets being shuffled. He blinked, bleary eyed until his gaze landed on the bed next to his. Lyon's bed. Lyon was tossing and turning again.

Ephraim shot out of bed on impulse and covered the short distance. A second later he was (gently) shaking Lyon awake.

“Lyon,” he whispered. It took some more slightly less gentle coaxing to get Lyon to wake. Lyon gasped, wide eyed the moment he woke up.

Ephraim hated seeing that face every time he woke Lyon from a nightmare. It just made him want to wrap Lyon in his arms tight and never let go. At least in normal circumstances they shared Ephraim's bed in castle Askr and Ephraim could be there the moment Lyon was having a fit. In hindsight, he wasn't sure why Lyon had insisted on sleeping in their separate designated beds tonight just because they were staying at this Aether Resort. Lyon had just gotten all hesitant about it, the way he did when there was something bothering him that Ephraim hadn't figured out yet.

Lyon gasped a syllable that might've been Ephraim's name before he all but launched his arms around Ephraim's neck, inadvertently pulling him down. He clung shakily and it tore at Ephraim's heart. He reached his arms around Lyon's back and snaked a hand through lilac hair the way he knew calmed Lyon.

“It's ok, Lyon, you were having a nightmare, that's all,” Ephraim whispered.

“D-don't-” Lyon took in a sharp breath, voice watery, “don't go, don't-”

Ephraim shifted so he was fully on the bed now. “I'm not going anywhere. I told you I wasn't gonna leave your side, remember? The day I got summoned?”

“In m-my dream, you, you-” Lyon cut himself off with a cough and a wheeze. “-left and- hated- called me a devil- left me, you left and I-”

Ephraim squeezed Lyon even closer to his chest. He buried his face in Lyon's hair. “I'm never leaving you. You got that? Never.” Then in a tender motion he kissed Lyon's forehead, in the spot where his circlet's gem normally sat. “You know I don't make promises I can't keep.”

Lyon made a choked noise and buried his face in Ephraim's chest. Ephraim rubbed Lyon's back in a way he hoped was soothing. He was hit with the memories of those weeks after the final battle, where he'd thought Lyon was truly gone. He remembered how he kept praying to whatever gods watched over Magvel for a chance, just one more chance to see Lyon again. He would have given anything. Getting summoned to Askr was a blessing Ephraim would forever be thankful for, because this world had given Lyon (and Ephraim) a second chance.

Even so, Ephraim understood Lyon was still in pain, even now that the demon king was gone from his body and from their world. Even if it wasn't a physical kind of pain, Ephraim knew. _(When he had nightmares of Lyon dying and he woke feeling like he couldn't breathe, couldn't move - when he wielded lances clumsier than he ever had before because they reminded him too much of fighting Lyon in that last battle - at those times, Ephraim thought he understood a portion of what Lyon felt.)_

Ephraim understood this and he didn't give a damn because Lyon was still Lyon. Because Ephraim had gotten his impossible wish granted by some miracle, and he was never going to let it go, not for anything. He was never going to leave Lyon's side.

It could've been minutes or hours before Lyon's shaking subsided and his tears dried. He relaxed his hold around Ephraim and pulled back enough to see his face. Lyon dipped his head shyly and wiped at his eyes. When Lyon spoke again, his voice at least wasn't wavering anymore. “...I've woken you up again.”

“You were having a nightmare.”

“I'm always having them. I just thought…” Lyon trailed off. “This place is supposed to be for relaxation, and I just thought you should get to have a full night's rest here of all places, because I'm always making you wake up because I toss and turn, and I thought… I thought if I was in another bed, you wouldn't wake, and…”

“Lyon,” Ephraim said, voice hushed. “...I sleep better when I'm next to you. Nightmares included.”

Lyon lifted his head to look Ephraim in the eyes now, surprised. He took several moments to respond, a blush creeping on his face. “Don't… don't just say things...”

“I'm not just saying things. It took me ages to fall asleep tonight.” Ephraim admitted. _(And the nights during and after the war when Ephraim didn't know whether Lyon was alright or even alive…)_

Lyon made a small “ah” sound but didn't say anything else. He fumbled with his hands in that endearing way Lyon always did. It was so cute - yes, cute - and so _Lyon_ that Ephraim found himself surging to kiss his lips without a second thought.

Lyon's eyes widened before they slipped shut. His hands fell on Ephraim's chest as he leaned into the kiss, parting his lips. Ephraim was all too happy to indulge Lyon and deepen the kiss.

Neither of them had much experience with this, but that was alright. They were learning together - what pressure made Ephraim groan, what touches made Lyon sigh and melt. When he bit Lyon's bottom lip and drew a wanton moan out of Lyon, Ephraim shivered pleasantly and pulled Lyon flush to his chest. He sank down on the mattress and pulled Lyon down with him, and turned them both onto their sides so their heads both rested on the pillow. Ephraim tangled his legs with Lyon's and he could feel Lyon's heart beating fast for reasons other than bad dreams now. They were both too tired to let it go much further tonight, though. Deep kisses gave way to more chaste ones. Even so, Ephraim still couldn't help but pepper Lyon's face in them.

"Ephraim -" Lyon started, before Ephraim interrupted with another kiss. Then Lyon gave a soft huff that was almost a laugh, and Ephraim smiled. If he could make Lyon smile or laugh now even in small moments like this then he was content with that. Lyon deserved to be happy after everything he'd been through.

Lyon deserved everything.

"What?" Ephraim said, nose brushing Lyon's, a hand cupping his cheek now.

Lyon put a hand on top of Ephraim's before answering. "...I sleep better next to you too."

Lyon had spoken the words so, so quietly that if Ephraim wasn't nose to nose with Lyon, he would have surely missed it. And he felt such a rush of affection for Lyon in that moment.

Ephraim lifted the bed covers and pulled it up over the both of them. "Well, then. Sleep beside me."

Lyon's face was so very red. "...You're the one in my bed..."

"Ok, then, I meant let me sleep beside you." Ephraim said, already very much settled under the covers. "And tomorrow we can check out the rest of this resort. Sound good?"

Lyon had settled comfortably himself, so that his face was pressed into Ephraim's chest. He mumbled something Ephraim couldn't quite hear.

"What was that?" Ephraim asked.

"I said I'd... like that." Lyon answered. "If you... want that. I mean there's so many other people you could spend time with here, are you sure you don't want to -"

"Lyon," Ephraim cut him off. "I'm here to spend time with you, not other random people."

"What about your sister?"

Ephraim chuckled. "She's here with L'arachel, I'm not going to interrupt their dates."

Lyon coughed. "Ok, Myrrh then?"

"She's not even in the Aether Resort this week?"

"Well," Lyon fumbled, "What about that man who's - er - the one from Elibe? He's here this week, right? And you've been talking with him a lot lately, and..."

"What, Hector?" Ephraim huffed. "I mean, we're sort of friends, but I don't know him that well anyhow. He's just been showing me how to wield an ax, and I've been showing him how to wield a lance. ...And besides, I think he's got someone else he's looking to spend the week with." Ephraim finished, remembering that Eliwood fellow.

Lyon was quiet for some moments after that.

"You know I love you, yeah?" Ephraim mumbled into Lyon's hair. Lyon stiffened in his hold before relaxing again. 

"...Yeah." Lyon whispered.

"Well, good. Because I do. So much, Lyon, so much."

"Ephraim..." Lyon's voice cracked. He nuzzled more into Ephraim's chest. Ephraim didn't wait for another reply - if it was still too difficult for Lyon to say it back, for any reasons, that was ok. Ephraim knew Lyon returned those feelings all the same, even if he struggled to voice it.

In a short while, after Lyon drifted off into sleep again, Ephraim whispered the words "I love you," once more.

_(And he would say it again and again, to make up for all the times he never got to before. Because Lyon was alive and he was here and that meant everything.)_

And Ephraim fell asleep soon after, more soundly now with his beloved in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Legendary Ephraim's quote, ("Lyon... If I could have one wish, I would be with you again, my friend") makes me emotional.
> 
> This story is kind of set within a bigger Askr AU idea I have sitting in my head (which I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to finish let alone publish), but I want to say Lyon DOES love Ephraim VERY much here, he just has trouble voicing it at this point in time. But eventually he does voice the sentiment out loud and then some.
> 
> Also the idea behind Hector and Ephraim teaching each other how to wield each other's weapons is mostly based on the joke that Hector and Ephraim just switched weapons for their brave alts.


End file.
